Saturday was spent in a sleepy haze. My feet only grew more painful as the day progressed.. At one point, I had to crawl to my bathroom. The pool above my room taunted me, the steamy, salty air drifting down the stairs and filling my nostrils. One dip and all my aches would vanish, but I couldn't bear to walk to the stairs, much less climb them.
Sunday morning dawned bright and cheerful, a rare occurrence here on the Island, and I hauled myself out of the covers, determined to enjoy the day. Lifting my legs to a perpendicular angle, I studied my feet. The blisters looked worse than yesterday. Some had popped, and the fluid in them dried to little orange crystals. But now that my legs were no longer cramping, I was willing to try climbing the stairs.
An hour later, I felt like a new woman. Nothing on me hurt. Energy buzzed in my veins. Besides a slight itchiness on my legs, likely from the saltwater drying out my skin, I was renewed. Pulling an over sized sweatshirt over my head, I left my room and bounded down the stairs.
"Ach, there's my Isla girl," Dad said, pointing to a stack of pancakes on the table with his fork. Syrup dripped off the utensil and splattered on the table. "Darn it."
"This looks amazing," I said, filling my plate with food. Sausage, eggs, and... "Beans?"
"Molly said we can't consider ourselves proper Islanders unless we start having beans with breakfast."
"That's a risk I'm willing to take," I replied, skipping them in favor of another piece of sausage. "You know, I still haven't met this wonder woman."
"Maybe if you didn't stay out all night and sleep all day."
"You do notice that I'm awake well before my usual time, and where is the good lady at?"
"She only works a half day on Sundays, and she ran to the market."
"I'm thinking about heading into town today. Maybe stop by The Merrow Cafe. Mrs. Rose caught me coming out of the coffee shop last week, and I'm still stinging from the lecture I got for not having stopped by already."
"As long as yer not behind on yer homework, I don't see a problem with it."
"Nope, all caught up. I made sure it was done before the party."
Dad patted his stomach and settled back in his seat with a broad smile on his face. Such fatherly pride oozed off of him, I was almost embarrassed. But it felt right. This easy camaraderie between us. It hadn't been like this since... my heart cracked a bit and I didn't finish the thought.
"How's your writing going?"
"Good, good. I like to go down to the beach most days. It's one of my favorite views, and this is a story about pirates."
"Argh," I growled, clamping one eyed shut and arching my lip into a snarl. Dad laughed, and I joined.
"I missed this," he said as his chuckles subsided. He reached across the table and took my hand in his. "We're going to be fine- you and me. You know that right?"
I squeezed his hand. "I know it, and I-I'm sorry for how I acted when we first moved here. I can't promise there will be no more outbursts, but I am trying."
We talked a little while longer after that, but soon I was scurrying out the door. Dad gave me the keys to the truck since he didn't plan to leave the house, and I sat a few moments in the driver seat, inhaling the memories of my grandfather. The scent of him was fading, replaced by smells that reminded me of my Dad and myself. In some ways, it was like losing him all over again.
The drive to to town was uneventful. Tinges of gold and orange were appearing on the edges of trees and bushes, and with the sun blazing in a cloudless blue sky, every color appeared in high definition. Even after being here for some time now, I was always amazed by how sunshine transformed the Island.
Parking at the stables, I shut off the engine and gathered my thoughts. Chances were high I was going to run into someone from the party. Tara would want to know what happened. Kieran...well, I didn't know what to expect from him, that was the real problem if I was honest with myself. And if I saw Ewan, I wasn't quite sure how I'd react. His company had been pleasant, his easy-going demeanor a welcome change from Kieran's broody mysteriousness, and he'd made it clear he would be interested in getting to know me better.
But, there was still the problem of the rumor circulating about Ewan. I'd meant it when I told him I was the type to draw my own conclusions, but I also intended on finding the truth. Someone was lying, and while Ewan had the better track record as far as I was concerned, I wasn't foolish enough to believe him just because Kieran had royally pissed me off. There was nothing fake about Kieran's concern when he discovered who I spent my time with at the party.
Too late to turn back now, I wandered into town. The Merrow Cafe was my first stop. Best to get a hello to Mrs. Rose out of the way. I had a feeling she would talk my ears off and make it hard to slip away. I patted my full stomach and prayed she didn't force me to eat something.
As luck would have it, Mrs. Rose wasn't in the cafe. The place was filled to the brim, but a harried waitress was kind enough to stop and tell me Mrs. Rose was across the Island visiting a sick relative. I thanked her and stepped out, wondering what to do with all the extra free time.
Chewing on my thumbnail, I considered heading to the center of town, but the store across the street drew my attention. Potent Potions. It was still hard to believe the brisk woman who taught our science class was into something as far fetched as potion making. Ms. Goode struck me as a woman who believed in facts, not magic and superstitions.
She'd given me until Tuesday to discover the origin of the scale, but despite numerous searches, I couldn't find any species that looked just right. In fact, the only time I'd ever found a scale that matched was when I located the one in my pool.
Destination decided, I skipped across the cobblestone street and up the stairs into the potion shop. Unlike before, the windows were lit up, but instead of adding warmth to the place, the light shining within only highlighted the dirt and smudges on the glass. The doorknob felt gritty beneath my hand as I twisted it, and I wondered if the disrepair outside the store might be on purpose.
Because what I found inside made me gasp. It was like the Island and sunshine- a different world. Floors of black marble with veins of gold spread out across a space far bigger than should be possible based on the building size. The walls were made of the same stone, and the cathedral ceilings spiraled above me. It was like being in a cave. If caves could be palaces.
I took a few hesitant steps inside, letting the door snick shut behind me. Shelves, built out of slabs of rock, lined the room, each one filled with glass bottles of various liquids- some glowing and shimmering, others sloshing about in the containers as though they'd been picked up and swirled recently. I reached for one.
"Can I help you?"
A cold sweat washed over my skin, and I jerked my hand back. Turning my head, I spied Leslie, leaning against a glass counter-top, her crystal eyes blank as she watched me.
"I'm so sorry." My voice crashed around the room, making us both wince so I lowered the volume. Despite feeling as if I was whispering, the sound carried to Leslie. "I-I...this is not what I was expecting to find in here."
She turned her head. "What do you see?"
"That's an odd question," I said, wondering what she was getting at. She responded by gesturing for me to continue speaking. "Gold speckled black floors and walls, high ceilings, and a soft glow I can't place. It's not the potions- it fills the room."
"Hmmm," Leslie murmured. Did you want to purchase a potion? Perhaps a love potion?" Pale lips twisted into a smirk.
"Why did you call the Island cursed? The first day I was here."
The smirk fell, and Leslie began to fidget with papers on the counter. "I was being foolish. I just finished reading a book, and I suppose I let my imagination get away with me. Forget I said anything."
I crossed my arms. It was a strange thing to say regardless, but Leslie was a strange girl. "Is your mother here? I've got a few questions about an assignment."
"She's out for the day."
Disappointment washed over me. She didn't teach on Mondays, and it was looking like I was going to kiss the points for that assignment goodbye. "Will you tell her I stopped by? I can leave my number."
Leslie pushed one of the papers she'd crumpled towards me. I smoothed it out and jotted down my new phone number. The redhead took it from me and clipped it a notepad. "This is where I leave notes for her."
"Alright, well thanks," I said after several beats of awkward quiet. I turned to leave, but one of the potions seemed to brighten. When Leslie didn't react, I shrugged it off as a trick of the light.
"Isla!"
My fingers curled around the door handle- from this side it was polished crystal. "Yeah?"
"Be careful, okay. I mean, not about the Island, but um, about the boys. Especially, Ewan. He's got a bit of a nasty reputation."
Another mark against him. But still hearsay. I resolved to dig deeper and to do it quickly. "Thanks Leslie. I'll keep that in mind."
I waited a few seconds, feeling as though she had more to say. Her odd, clear eyes had darkened, and she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. But when she said nothing else, I waved and stepped out into the street. I looked up, almost expecting the storefront to have shifted to match the inside, but it remained just as bleak and dirty as before. I'd chalk it up to things I didn't understand about this place.
"Did you find anything in there?"
"Ewan," I said, startling for the second time that day. These people knew how to sneak up on a girl.
He smiled, and I melted a bit, despite Leslie's recent warning. His blonde hair was up in a man bun, and he had on a coat much more suitable to the current weather than my own small jacket. Shivering as a gust of wind whistled through the alleys and wrapped around my body, I decided a clothing store would be my next stop. Sunshine didn't mean warm.
"Well, how about it? Did you purchase a potion?" he stepped closer, inching his body into my personal space.
I put my hands on his chest and pushed. The laugh that came out of my mouth was off, tinny and fake. "No, Ewan. I didn't waste my money."
The grin flashed brighter, and he put his hands over mine where they lay on his chest. My push hadn't budged him. He lifted one to his lips and pressed a kiss on my skin. Then he dropped both hands and stepped away. I gulped in air. Like a nitwit, I'd stopped breathing while he stood so close.
"Good, I wouldn't want you to be wasting yer money on trash like that."
"Nope," I said, wrapping my arms around my waist, my teeth chattering. "I need to spend it on a coat."
"Ach, here ya go. Why didn't you say anything?" He dropped his coat around my shoulders, and I inhaled cedar and lavender- a combination that was strange yet wonderful, making my stomach clench as I pulled the garment around me.
"Thank you."
"Anytime love," he said, running his hand down my shoulders. "You ought to keep it. Looks much better on you than on me."
I didn't miss the ring of possession in that statement, but I wasn't ready to tread that path with him- not when a pair of disapproving hazel eyes flashed in my mind. "I best pick one out for myself."
"Fine then. If you insist," he replied, throwing his hand out, "lead the way."